LIVE REVIEW: Dayseeker @ The Fleece, Bristol

Having first emerged in 2013 as a tight, if a little generic metalcore outfit, DAYSEEKER have put the time and graft in to get to where they are today – selling out venues a long way from their home on America’s west coast and bringing some talented British bands along for the ride.

One such band is tonight’s opener LOVE IS NOISE. As their name suggests, this three-piece brings emotion and noise in equal spades, shifting from dreamy shoegaze stylings to blasts of screaming brutality. Their sound may be a little too derivative of DEFTONES to be truly distinct, but their unrelenting energy can’t be denied. Certainly, ones to watch as they develop their sound.

Rating: 8/10

Next up are Portsmouth favourites ACRES. Closer in sound to tonight’s headliners, the melodic metalcore outfit plays well to tonight’s attendees. They get bodies moving with their bouncier tunes, and prep the audience for the feels to come with soaring tracks like My Everything. The quintet deliver a spirited set with plenty of energy, but their sound lacks the dynamic variety of the openers and thus feels slightly underwhelming by comparison.

Rating: 7/10

Starting life as a fairly typical mid-2010s screamo outfit, DAYSEEKER have slowly expanded their sonic landscape to include a multitude of electronic textures. This fusion of synthwave and metalcore reached new heights on their latest release Dark Sun. This tour to support that album is also their first headline UK tour, meaning that excitement is running high among the fans in attendance.

While DAYSEEKER’s songwriting is nothing ground-breaking, their sound is elevated by the impressive vocal range of frontman Rory Rodriguez, whose impeccable clean singing rivals any top 40 vocalist you can name. He gets to exercise these pipes on opener Dreamstate, which juxtaposes a soaring chorus with gnarly screaming passages.

The power of the subject matter – Dark Sun was written about Rodriguez’s father’s passing – lends weight to many of the songs performed tonight. The 80s-tinged pop song Homesick is irresistibly danceable, despite some frankly crushing lyrics (“waiting for the mourning to be over, but it’s all I have now”). Crying While Your Dancing does exactly what it says on the tin, inviting the crowd to bounce to its twinkly keyboards and melancholy lyricism.

There’s plenty of material from the band’s 2019 breakout record Sleeptalk too. Drunk gives guitarist Gino Sgambelluri a chance to show his skill with some gorgeous plucked lead lines, while Crooked Soul brings the metalcore riffery. The title track, which is also their biggest hit to date, naturally brings the house down, as every voice in the room is raised to roar its memorable chorus.

Neon Grave, is chosen for the closer – an ARCHITECTS-influenced banger complete with djent-style riffs and a chugging breakdown. There are, without a doubt, a fair few wet eyes in the crowd as they raise their voices to sing a chorus that’s draped in grief. The singer is clearly the star of the show tonight, but through his natural talent and endearing showmanship, he shows he has the star power to carry it. 

A one-song encore of Afterglow (Hazel’s Song) is certainly a meaningful moment to end the set with, but it feels more suited to a mid-set rest than a show-closer. While Rodriguez’s solo performance can’t be faulted, the song’s slow burn has a few punters heading for the door before the song sees its conclusion. This doesn’t take away from a solid set from an immensely talented band, who clearly put their hearts and souls into their music. We expect it won’t be the last UK headliner we see from DAYSEEKER.

Rating: 8/10

Check out our photo gallery from the night’s action in Bristol from Serena Hill Photography here: 

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